when walking by the river
—
“today is one of those excellent january partly cloudies
in which light chooses an unexpected part of the landscape to trick out in gilt,
and then the shadow sweeps it away.
you know you’re alive. you take huge steps,
trying to feel the planet’s roundness arc between your feet.”
-annie dillard
—
huron river, argo park, ann arbor, mi, usa – january 2023
beautiful and enlightening experience
kayaking through detroit’s canals
that i never knew existed
with detroit river sports
then paddling into the detroit river
bounded on either side by the united states and canada
learning history and tales of
bootlegging, river islands, mansions, auto barons, inventors, and boatmen
finishing with a lovely relaxed dinner
canal side
at coriander kitchen and farm
fresh farm to table fare
all in the heart of the city.
—
“if there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.”
-loren eiseley
on my frequent walks to the river
each time passing this sign
i wondered –
often someone chopping wood
putting up canoes, cooking outside
peaceful communal living
until i learned the intriguing backstory
and understood
the amazing spirit of this society.
—
Society of Les Voyageurs
As the oldest continually active student group on the University of Michigan campus (founded in 1907), the Society of Les Voyageurs upholds a long-standing tradition of convening over the love for nature and the out of doors. The Society owns a cabin on the Huron River just north of downtown called Habe Mills Pine Lodge that was built in 1927 to house the Society, its activities, as well as those members who choose to live there. The group also hosts potluck dinners every Sunday at 6pm, followed by a program from a professor or a community member pertaining to learning more about the out of doors. The group is known to embark occasionally on casual outings such as hiking, backpacking, rock climbing, caving, cross-country skiing, etc.
—
*”si le voyageur n’espere rien, il ne verra ce que voient les yeux.”
-eric-emmanuel schmitt (franco-belgian playwright, novelist, film director)
*(If the traveler does not hope for anything, he will only see what the eyes see.)
argo park, ann arbor, michigan, usa – april 2021
early evening in the park on the river in spring
crew teams have returned with the birds.
—
“all were merged into one smoothly working machine;
they were, in fact, a poem of motion, a symphony of swinging blades.”
-Daniel James Brown, The Boys in the Boat: 9 Americans and Their Epic Quest For Gold at the 1936 Olympics
—
argo park, ann arbor, michigan, usa – april 2021
aftermath of our afternoon trip down the river – 2020 style
—
what started out as a promising enterprise
full of air and up on top
waylaid by the first set of cascades
day’s lazy dreams dashed against the rocks
so quickly deflated
yet just as suddenly
floated back up
found a way
after all
not as planned
this will always be remembered as the year that was
for so many reasons
that taught us how to make it to the end
safety vests strapped on and fingers crossed
even if we had to body surf our way through it
or borrow a raft now and then.
—
“there is even rhythm in being empty.”
-miyamoto musashi
shoes left behind
no need for these when you find the river.
—
“let your shoes take you to where your happiness grows.”
-anthony t. hincks
crossed paths with a pizza out for a stroll
on a mission
headed for the river
pizza was sliced and ready
to float
to swim
to shoot the cascades
perfect conditions today for a pizza.
—
“the closest thing I use to beauty products is the grease on the pizza from John’s Pizzeria.”
-mark feuerstein
finding shelter today by the river
—
“maybe we need to shelter ourselves so we see the beautiful.”
-joanna coles
even beneath
the layers of snow and ice
the remnants of winter
not yet spring
the river emerges
never ceasing to flow.
—
“be like a river. be open. flow.
-julie connor
—
argo park, huron river, ann arbor, mi, usa – february 2020
headed off on a family fun river raft float trip
not real relaxing as expected
but lots of adventures/misadventures instead
so many laughs and we all survived
who could ask for anything more?
—
“rejoice as summer should…chase away sorrows by living.”
-melissa marr, darkest mercy
—
argo park, huron river, Ann Arbor, michigan, u.s.a. – summer 2019
I didn't have my glasses on.... 